Approach of Thunder
Note: This is the sequel to Blue Fire. The herds are basically the same (I mean of course, cross out Icewind) so I haven't included the list of characters again. If you don't understand my horse terminology (it's complex) there's a list of terms at the beginning of Blue Fire. If by some chance I use a term I didn't explain, feel free to point that out to me. Hope you guys enjoy this! SaynaSLuke (talk) 00:24, June 7, 2014 (UTC) Please comment XD Chapter 1 Wisp Storm, Eclipse, and Sirocco were racing the setting sun. As Sirocco wisely said, going into the Wastelands was stupid to begin with, but going in after dark was exceedingly stupid. They reached Redstone Rocks, the last mesa before the Wastelands, at dusk. "There is no way I'm going in there at this time of night." Eclipse stated. Storm had a nasty thought. "What if we have to stay in there for more then one day?" Her two friends chorused, "Don't even say that!" Storm shrugged. "Okay, but you know it's a possibility." "I know, I know." Sirocco muttered. "Still you haven't heard all the stories about this place that we have." "That," Storm yawned. "Is probably a good thing." The night wind gently blew around the three weary travelers, washing away the heat and dust of the day. A desert owl watched them with unblinking eyes, as they relaxed, dropping off to sleep, but not laying down. No horse in their right mind would make themselves so venerable this close to the Wastelands. However the owl wasn't the only watcher. The other set of eyes belonged to Wisp, daughter of Thunderstrike, leader of the Mesa Climbers. Wisp was a very light blue roan, so light her mane was gray, not black. She was younger then the horses she watched, and had the personality of a sunbeam. She was a bright, happy child, talkative, outgoing and extremely friendly. Now, just as Storm had slipped into repose, Wisp leapt from her hiding place and whinnied, "Hi!" It is never nice to be surprised in the dark when you are almost asleep, but to be surprised in the dark when you are almost asleep near the Wastelands is terrifying. Eclipse, Sirocco, and Storm reacted classically. They jolted awake, yelling. "Ahhhhhh!" Wisp stepped from the shadows "It's just me!" Storm sighed with relief. "Guys, it's only a horse!" The little roan filly giggled. "Of course I'm a horse! What else would I be?" Storm eyed this new arrival suspiciously. "What's your name?" The filly giggled again. "Wisp! What are your names?" Sirocco answered. "I'm Sirocco. This is my sister Eclipse, and our friend Storm." Wisps eyes were wide. "Ooohh! You're from the Canyon Dwellers. I've seen you! I have, I have!" She seemed quite pleased with herself. Storm nodded. "You're right Wisp, we are from the Canyon Dwellers. We're looking for a black horse that might have come by here. Have you seen him?" Wisp giggled, "Oooh I have!" She suddenly sobered up for a second. "But he went in there!" She said, indicating the Wastelands. Sirocco looked sick. "There's no denying it now." Eclipse nodded. "He definitely went to the Wastelands." "But why?" Storm asked. Eclipse shook her head. "You don't know our father that well. He may actually blame himself." "Our job is to make him see it wasn't his fault." Storm stamped a hoof. Sirocco had grown suddenly silent. "What," He paused, biting his lip. "What if it was an accident?" Eclipse whirled around, furious. "How dare you think that! It's not Panthers fault, so there!" Sirocco flattened his ears "I was just saying .." His sister snarled. "If that's all you can think to say, don't!" Storm dove between the fighting siblings. "Stop it you guys! This isn't going to help!" Eclipse backed away angry, but Sirocco just looked sad. "I'm sorry Eclipse." The liver chestnut snorted. "Just don't think that again! It's not dads fault." A giggle brought them back to reality. "Oooohhh You're fighting! I know it! I saw you!" Wisp seemed to think the whole situation was a great joke. Storm didn't feel like laughing. "It's not funny." "Ooohh it is though! It is!" The filly, to young to understand the seriousness of the problem, collapsed into happy giggles. Her laughter was infectious, and instead of continuing their argument, Storm, Eclipse, and Sirocco found themselves joining in. Sirocco was the first to sober up. "Oh Ha-ha, but it's not a bit funny you know." He turned to Wisp. "Look miss, you'd best get back to your herd. Us travelers need a rest Ok? We've got a long day ahead of us." Wisp did a happy little crow hop. "Ok! I'll see you later!" She galloped away, giggling. Storm yawned. "Oh for half of her energy." Chapter 2 Into the Mouth of a Dragon The next morning, the three travelers were up early, despite the previous nights interruption. Unfortunately, the Wastelands were farther off then they seemed. It was mid-day before they actually reached their objective, which, upon closer inspection, was grimmer then it's descriptions. The sand really was black, and it absorbed the suns heat, making the air hot and sultry. Chunks of dull black rock dotted the landscape, which was barren and lifeless. The air smelled of sulfur, dust, and surprisingly, fire. Storm took a deeper sniff, but the charcoal smell was gone, as if whipped away by the thin breeze, which did nothing against the muggy heat. The atmosphere was so hot and depressing, no one felt like talking. They continued on in silence, fighting their weariness, their worry, and especially, the visions of their own, lovely canyon. The hours drug by agonizingly slow. The air was void of the pretty birdsong Storm was used to, in it's place was silence. Not a nice silence, like in the early morning when you are all alone and you can here the occasional howl of a coyote. No this silence was oppressive, void of life, and energy, broken only by the dull clop-clop of the horses hooves. At length Eclipse finally sighed. "What's the plan?" The sound of her voice was lovely compared to the unbroken silence they had been listening to for hours. "I'm not sure." Sirocco stated. "But it might be better that way. After all, we have no idea what we got ourselves into, have we now?" "No." Storm admitted. "Everything we know is lore and legends. How do we know what this place is really like?" Sirocco looked like he'd been hit by lightning. "Exactly! How do we know there even is a beast? How do we know their is no water here? We don't! Come on! Don't give up yet!" Inspired by Siroccos brave words, the three friends continued on in silence once again. Bravery only lasts so long, and Storm, Eclipse, and Siroccos ran out the time night fell. According to the tales, the beast hunted at night, and while what Sirocco had said was true, they didn't know the thing existed, they had no proof it didn't. The good thing about dark was it brought relief to the heat, the bad thing was it brought out sounds. Storm was beginning to think she liked the days silence better after all. Now the air was filled with scurrying and screeches, and who knows what sorts of animals they belonged to. Also, thirst helped to diminish their spirits considerably. The night wore on. Storm had given up looking ahead, for she knew there was nothing to see. She focused instead on her hoof falls trying to keep her eyes open as she zoned out to everything besides clop-clop, clop-clop, clop-clop. Suddenly a sound came from Eclipse, a unearthly noise, somewhere between a cry and a squeak. "Oh look look!" Her companions jerked their heads up and their eyes open to see a blessed sight. At the foot of a large black rock, lay a crystal pool. Storm didn't remember running toward the water, but she must have, for the next thing she knew, she had her muzzle in it, drinking, drinking, drinking. The pool was shockingly cold, and it felt lovely as it slid down her throat. Finally Storm backed away from the water with a sigh, to see Eclipse settling down, but Sirocco still drinking. Something whispered 'stop' in the back of her head, but she was to tired to listen. She sank to ground, and slipped into dreamland almost instantly. Chapter 3 Murder! Spots had taken his job of watching Sandstone very seriously. He was however, disgruntled because Sandstone had not gone anywhere. Right at this moment, the young horse was grazing discontentedly beside the river, desperately wishing his leader would go somewhere. Spots thought about how Sandstone had driven Storm out, and he smoldered "Ooooooh Sandstone you coyote! Take that! and that! and that!" Spots leapt about stomping the ground, which was, by the way, extremely void of Sandstones presence. He sighed, "whew. There, he's dead." The young horse suddenly put on the most innocent face he could muster. "Oh hi Star!" The colt put on a stern look, (in effort to appear like Star) "Did you just kill Sandstone Spots?" Spots returned to his innocent look. "Uhh, no, I don't think so." "Oh but I think you did." Spots argued with himself, (of course, pretending to be Star.) "No I think I would remember that." The colt stated. "Is that .." He began, before cutting himself off, "Nope!" "I think that's ..." "Nope!" "Do you know where .." "Nope!!" Spots might have continued in this manner for quite a long time, if he had not been interrupted by a shout. "Brushfire!" Dreams voice sobbed. Spots jerked his head out of his make believe argument, remembering what the lead mare had looked like a few days ago. He ran toward the rest of the herd, to see a crowd of horses gathered around Dream. Spots wormed his way through the tightly packed bodies, to see Brushfire lying on the ground. Sandstone pushed his way through to were Dream was standing. "What have you done Dream?" Dream was appalled. "It wasn't me! I was grazing beside her, and she just collapsed!" Sandstone arched his eye brows. "Really? Brushfire was perfectly fine, and she suddenly dies? That doesn't make much sense." Spots opened his mouth to protest that Brushfire had most certainly not been fine, but a whisper sounded in his ear. "Don't say anything Spots." "Featherwisp?" Spots whispered. The albino murmured, "It's for your own good. Just watch, but don't drag yourself into it." "But Dream .." Spots protested. Featherwisp flicked an ear back ever so slightly. "That can not be helped. But the Canyon Dwellers need you Spots. Don't throw your life away for something that you can't change anyway." "Throw my life away .." Spots began, but Sandstones voice interrupted. "For what you have done Dream, you will be killed. Star?" "No don't kill her!" Cyclones voice cried out. Sandstone pinned his ears. "Hmm what have we here? A horse who challenges their leader?" He raised his voice. "Listen all of you! I have decided to make some changes. Changes that will help us all in the years to come. Instead of one lead mare, we will have a council." "And who is to be on this council?" Featherwisp asked drily. Sandstone held his head high. "Star! You will be head of the council." He looked behind himself. "Just before this tragic incident, two lone horses came to me, asking to join us. Meet Carp and Breeze!" A grullo and a red roan came forward. Breeze, the grullo, dipped his head. "Me and Carp would be honored to join your herd." "Wait! You drove Storm out because she was a lone horse! Why would you let these two in?" Dream cried. Sandstone silenced her with a cold look. "You have no right to speak here murderer. Breeze and Carp will be on our council, and I am sure they will do well. Now, back to this wicked creature, who would dare strike down Brushfire. Carp, kill her!" The red roan approached Dream, but she wheeled around and ran. "Catch her Breeze!" Sandstone ordered. The grullo leapt into a gallop from a standing start, and flew like the wind. However, Dream did have an ally, and that was the fact she knew the terrain, while Breeze didn't. The grullo was almost upon her, when he went down with a strangled cry, his hoof in a rabbit hole. Dream crested a ridge and was gone from sight. Safe. Chapter 4 Prophesy Storm wandered through a green pasture. This puzzled her, for she last remembered being in the Wastelands, and they were most certainly not green. A familiar voice rang from behind her. "Storm!" Storm turned, the hairs on her spine bristling. "Mother?" Sure enough, there stood her mother, her gray coat sleek and whole, not bloody like the last time Storm had seen her. "Mother! but .. but . h .. how .." Storm gasped. Smoke blinked, but did not answered her daughter. "As storms and wind are found together, together they must fight. Sun and moon are intertwined 'neath coat as dark as night. While speckles may seem weak indeed, great power do they hold. Gentle breeze and star flecked scales keep secrets yet untold." Smoke turned to go, but Storm cried, "No wait mother! Don't leave yet!" Smoke looked sad. "I must go for now dear one, but I will always be with you." She whickered, "And you may see me again, who knows? Good bye Storm, I'll always love you." "Wait!" Storm shrieked as her mother began fading. "Wait mother, please!" Storm tried to reach Smoke, but something black filled her vision. She gasped as an eagle flew up in front of her, and a voice whispered, "Remember the eagle Storm! The eagle knows the way!" Storm reared as thick mist began swirling around her legs, engulfing her in a cloud of fog. She could hear numerous voices in the distance, but they were unclear and fuzzy. Then one got louder then the rest, "Storm, you are chosen. You must decipher the riddle! You and you alone can do it, or understand it's meaning." "Who are you!?" Storm howled, but received no answer. Suddenly Eclipse's voice rang from somewhere, although it sounded distant and far away. Still, she detected the frightened note to it. "Storm! Storm wake up!" Chapter 5 Resistance "Spots!" Featherwisp called. "What?" Spots asked. "Meet me by the burnt ash." She ordered. "Hurry." Spots glanced ruefully at his meal of second rate grass. "Oh all right." Spots hurried toward the burnt ash. The old tree got it's name from it's smoke-stained bark, blemished long ago in a fire. It hung from the canyon wall at a somewhat crazy angle, and sometimes Spots wondered why it didn't fall. As he approached the burned ash, he realized Featherwisp wasn't the only one there. Coyote, Aurora, and Hawkseye stood beside her, waiting. "Spots." Featherwisp said, "We are here to continue what Dream started." Spots cocked his head. "Huh?" "What all did she tell you?" Aurora asked. Spots looked even more confused. "Huh?" Coyote blinked. "Well?" Spots stared from one horse to the next, utterly baffled. "I .. well ..err, She didn't tell me anything." "She must have." Hawkseye insisted. "She told us she'd made you our spy." Spots mouth dropped open. "Really?" Suddenly realization kicked in. "Ohhh so that's why she wanted me to follow Sandstone when he left the herd!" "Is that all she told you?" Hawkseye asked. "Yep." Spots answered innocently. "Spots listen to me." Featherwisp ordered. "You do not realize how dangerous this situation is. Sandstone is up to no good, and if he isn't stopped, horses will die from his treachery." Spots was dubious. "Treachery? What are you talking about?" The older horses stared at him, dumbfounded. "You can't see it?" Aurora gasped. "Can't see what?" Spots asked. Featherwisp shook her head. "Ok, ok. I'll explain it to you, because Dream obviously didn't. We believe Sandstone is getting ready to start a war with the Mesa Climbers and the Desert Runners. Such an atrocity has not happened in over a hundred years, and we can not allow it now." Spots shook his head. "But, how can Sandstone start a war when he's driving all his fighters out?" Hawkseye sighed. "Oh poor, silly young one, can't you see? He's driving all the fighters out so he can replace them!" Chapter 6 Disaster! "Storm! Oh Storm! Wake up! Please wake up!" Storm blinked her eyes open to see Eclipse standing over her. "What's wrong?" She asked. Eclipse shuddered. "Oh Storm do something quick! Siroccos sick! Really sick!" Storm heaved herself to her feet, to see a terrifying sight. Sirocco was rolling all over the ground, in dire agony. "Sirocco!" Storm shrieked, and in the next second she knew exactly what was wrong with the colt. She gasped, horrified. "It's colic! He's got colic! What do we do?" Eclipse stood frozen for one awful second, before she neighed, "I know what to do, help me Storm!" From that second on, Eclipse was in complete control. "Storm you get on that side of him, I'll be on this one. Get him on his feet, now!" Sirocco moaned as Storm shoved him roughly onto his hooves, and Eclipse ordered, "Sandwich him in between us, and walk!" As they paced, Storm snorted, "It was that water he drank. It was so cold, and he drank to much, to fast." Eclipse glared at her brother. "Oh Sirocco you ninny! Why in the name of horses would you do such a stupid thing?" Sirocco didn't answer, and his friends hadn't really expected him to. The moon shone down on the fillies as they paced endlessly, Sirocco in-between them. Storm hadn't known pacing was so difficult. It isn't, I suppose, when you only do it a little, and you aren't obliged to continue on and on, never stopping, never resting. What's more, Sirocco was like a dead weight, for he hardly walked, just allowed them to drag him about, this way and that, for what seemed like eternity. Storm was asleep. She was still walking, yes, but she was asleep. Her own hoof falls had lulled her into repose. It was an odd sort of rest, for Storm knew she was asleep, and yet at the same time knew she wasn't. Her sleeping mind muddled her thoughts into a royal mess, and Storm began imaging things that weren't. She saw her mother in front of her, calling to her, but much to Storms frustration, she couldn't make out Smokes words. Just as she had about reached the gray mare, the lovely apparition morphed into a screeching eagle, whose cries hurt Storms ears. The bird flew strait toward the filly, turning into wisps of wind a second before it would have hit her. A star flecked fish leapt out of the mist two horse lengths away, before diving back in, just as it would do in water. Suddenly Storm felt something move beside her and snapped her eyes open. "I'm Ok! I'm ok!" Sirocco insisted as he staggered free of his friends. Eclipse snapped at her brother, "You'd best be glad of that coyote brain, you just about killed yourself!" "Did I?" Sirocco asked Storm, who sighed, "You did." Before laying down, utterly worn out. The last thing she heard was Eclipse's yawn of, "but we mustn't go to sleep you know, we really .. must .. not." Chapter 7 Spots has an Adventure Spots kicked a tuft of brown, trod-on grass in disgust, thinking about what Hawkseye had told him. "I shoulda seen it earlier." He muttered to himself. "Should've seen what loser?" Flight snickered. Spots flattened his ears. "Oh go away you sniveling rat." Flight snarled "Oh yea? Who's gonna make me freckle face?" Spots did a half rear. "Me!" Flight gasped as Spots struck out, catching him in the shoulder. The cowardly bully loped away, whining about what a terrible creature Spots was. "Loser." The appaloosa muttered under his breath before turning away. The next second he was on alert and excited. Sandstone was inconspicuously walking away from his herd. After all, what with his dumb old council, Sandstone had no obligation to stay with his herd. I mean, why should he? This act wouldn't have normally attracted much attention, but it certainly got Spots dander up. Sandstone was finally leaving! It was Spots big chance! Spots shadowed Sandstone silently. While he did not make a sound, his whole being was filled with uncontrollable excitement. Sandstone wandered past the burnt ash, along the river bank toward Fish Island, a tiny island in the middle of the Leaping Fish river. He was so slow and calm, Spots began to think he really wasn't going anywhere special, when a shadow disengaged itself from the many reeds on the bank. Spots stared. He couldn't help it. He didn't think a horse this small existed. She was shiny black, with a white star on her forehead, and she moved like a tiny breath of wind. One moment she was in the reed bank, six horse lengths from Sandstone, and the next, she was directly in front of him. "What do you want of me?" Sandstone snorted. "I want you to follow a old albino mare who's blind in one eye. Whenever she leaves my herd, watch her, and tell me where she goes." The black horse nodded. "Yes sir. Does this mean I can stay in your canyon longer?" Sandstone looked at her with contempt. "For now." The palomino turned and trotted away. Spots watched Sandstone leave, and for some reason was drawn to the little horse standing dejectedly on the bank. His mind screamed, "No she's Sandstones spy!" but he felt like he had to reveal himself. He stepped from the small outcrop of rock he was hiding in. "Who are you?" The black horse started, whirling around, and Spots was surprised to see that her face was youthful. She was a filly, maybe even younger than himself. She stared at him with piercing dark eyes. "Who are you?" Spots paused for a second before answering, "Spots. what's your name?" She stared at him as if evaluating his purpose. "I am Night." "Why are you working for a weasel like Sandstone? Why would you do that?" Spots didn't mean to ask those questions, but he did. Night gave him a long stare. "I have no home Spots. When you live a loner, you have to do things you wouldn't normally do. Out there, every day is a fight for survival. You don't have any idea where your next meal is coming from. You don't know if you'll have water to drink, a place to sleep, or anything. Now when you find a nice place like this with food and water and shelter, you do what ever you have to do to stay there. Do you understand?" Spots felt odd, having this younger horse telling him things he didn't know. Under normal circumstances, he would have thought she was a prig, but it was extremely difficult to think of Night as stuck-up. She was so cold, emotionless, and to the point, Spots couldn't think of her as anything but a professional. Night looked around a beseeching look in her eyes. "I must go. You won't tell Sandstone you saw me, will you?" Spots was shocked. "Oh I won't do that! I thought you'd tell on me!" Night gave him a stare. "He told me he'd kill me if anyone saw me!" It was Spots turn to stare. "He said he'd kill you!?" Night nodded. "Yes. Don't tell!" Spots shook his head. "You misunderstand. Many of our herd dislike Sandstone, and I am their spy. We plan to expose his treachery and overthrow him. Maybe, someday, if that happens, you could come live in our herd forever!" Night stared at him again, before answering, "I think I would like that. Goodbye Spots." "Goodbye Night!" Spots called into empty air, for Night was gone. Chapter 8 Victory? Or Defeat? Storm awoke to the unbearable heat of the Wastelands. She squinted up at the sun, assuming it was around ten in the morning. Sirocco slept peacefully, worn out by last nights ordeal, while Eclipse grazed on some sparse grass by the pool. Eclipse looked up as Storm got to her hooves. "So you're awake sleepy mane?" "Why didn't you wake me sooner?" Storm griped. Eclipse shrugged. "Didn't see any point. We can't leave without Sirocco, and he's in no condition to travel." Storm sighed. "Oh that's great. Just great. We're stuck here, in the open with plenty of water but not enough food, surrounded by all kinds of creatures, (Who knows what they eat,) and with a sick horse! Swell!" Category:Blog posts Category:Fanfiction